Weld’s ag community plans benefit barbecue

Carol Karre, a 20-year member of the Weld County Fair Board, was the first woman elected president of that board, a volunteer group that plans and organizes the Weld County Fair each year.

The fair is second in scope only to the Colorado State Fair in terms of 4-H, FFA and open division entries.

About three years ago, Karre, who lives with Henry, her husband of 42 years east of Greeley, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Just recently, she completed radiation treatments for brain cancer.

“I’m getting along pretty good,” she said earlier this week.

That’s typical of Karre, said Tom Bledsoe, president of the fair board.

The board, along with the Weld County 4-H Executive

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Council, will sponsor a barbecue benefit to help the family with medical expenses. Barbecue beef, lamb, goat and pork will be available the evening of June 13 at $5 a plate. There will also be a live and silent auction of items donated by area businesses and residents who have known or worked with the Karre family. This year’s fair royalty will sponsor a cake walk and the county’s Washington Focus 4-H group will have several different game booths.

Bledsoe said Karre, who along with her husband was instrumental in starting the market goat show at the fair in addition to catch-it contests, has been upbeat even while battling her health problems. Only a handful of goats were entered in the initial show; last year there were more than 120.

“Carol is the heart and soul of the fair board. She is one of those people who will do anything for anybody and always has time for everyone — especially the kids,” he said.

Karre got involved with the fair board during the last years of her kids’ involvement in 4-H. She and her husband have raised Suffolk sheep nearly all their married lives, providing market sheep for their daughter, Holly, and son, Quint, and other 4-H and FFA members.

They lost Quint in a Sept. 17, 1995, traffic accident north of Greeley and have helped raise his two children. The last few years, they have watched their grandchildren develop while exhibiting both market and breeding sheep, along with market goats.

Karre served as president of the board in 2000.

“That was probably all they wanted,” she half-heartedly joked. “We had too many changes that year. It was tough. But I still enjoyed it.”

She remains optimistic and said the latest cancer treatments went well.

“They wanted to shrink it down, and the latest X-rays and CT scans showed it had gone down some. So that’s good. We keep going along,” she said.

WHERE TO GO

A barbecue to help the Henry and Carol Karre family with medical expenses will be from 5-8 p.m. June 13 at the south end of the Island Grove Regional Park Arena. Tickets, $5 a plate, will be available at the event, through the Weld County Cooperative Extension office in the Exhibition Building or through members of the Weld County 4-H Executive Council.